Sander



Patented May 22, 1945 SANDER Erwin Vroman, Watertown, N. Y., assignor to l The New York Air Brake Company, a c orporation of New Jersey Application May 1, 1944, sen-aim. 533,619

1 Claim.

This invention relates to sand traps, particularly thOse intended foruse on locomotives.

The general principles on which the trap operates are disclosed in the patent to Campbell 2,243,243, issued May 27, 1941. The Campbell sander was developed primarily for useonthe cars of high speed trains, as means for improving braking; For this reason the Campbell sander embodied many features important for that class of service and not needed on locomotiveswhere what is called traction sanding is required. Traction sanding is used in starting and in grade work rather than during braking.

The object of the present invention is to take advantage of the feaures of the Campbell sander which are useful in traction sanding, and embody them in a trap which is simple, and suitable in form for mounting on steam locomotives. Accessibility of all parts without dismounting the body of the trap, the use of the minimum practicable number of parts, and protection against the weather are outstanding advantages.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a face View of the trap as it appears a when mounted on the side of a locomotive boiler. Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 3, i. e. on the axis of the air nozzle and related throat.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2. The major components of the trap are the body 4 and a hollow cap 5. which serves both as a cover and as a shrouded air inlet. The parts are sealed by a gasket 6, and connected by studs with nuts I. The body 4 has a sand receiving pocket 8 from which sand may be drawn over a substantially straight horizontal crest or dam 9. The sand flows freely into pocket 8 through a pipe II which leads from the sand dome (not shown). This sand supply pipe is screwed into the threads I2, and sand discharging therefrom flows into pocket 8 along the curving bottom I3 ofthe trap body.

Entrance of the sand is restrained by a pendant bafile l4 whose lower margin is straight and horizontal, and is located at a slightly lower level than the crest 9. Consequently the pocket 8 fills with sand but will not discharge sand unless some means is provided to draw it over the crest 9. The means provided comprise a downwardly directed ejector operated by compressed air, and a stirring nozzle mounted in the pocket and operated by suction created by the ejector.

The stirring nozzle is a tube [5, pressed into the cap 5 so as to communicate with the passage l6 within the cap. The lower end of cap 5 and its passage l6 are curved as shown at I1 so that the entrance to the passage is presented toward the locomotive boiler. This tends to minimize the entrance of water. The nozzle I5 is slightly inclined downward as shown and is longitudinally slotted at its top as indicated at 18. To limit its stirring activity a. by-pass port ill of any appropriate size is drilled to connect passage l6 with the interior of the trap body above the sand level.

The nozzle of the ejector is housed in a boss 2| and comprises a shouldered tube 22, threaded into a passage drilled through the boss, and a tip 23 of special form. This tip 23 is threaded into the lower end of tube 22 and has a nozzle orifice 24 at its lower end surrounded by a rim 25 which constricts the entrance to the Venturi passage hereinafter described. At the upper end of tip 23 is a sleeve-like extension 26 smaller than the bore of tube 22 and cross drilled at 21 to serve as a strainer protecting the orifice 24. The upper end of extension sleeve 26 is closed by a threaded plug 28.

Compressed air to operate the sander is furnished through pipe 29 which is connected by a union with the upper end of tube 22,

Disconnection of pipe 29 permits removal of tube 22. The tip 23 may then be removed. It can be cleaned easily upon removal of plug 28.

A selection of tips varying in the size of nozzle- 24 and the related strainer ports 21 may be provided and in such case the design of rim 25 may be modified to correspond. Thus the characteristics of the air nozzle maybe changed by merely interchanging tips.

The trap is preferably mounted as shown, so

that the nozzle is directed vertically downward.

Fitting 34 is threaded to the pipe 36 which directs the discharging sand to the rail.

Removal of cap 5 gives access not only to pocket 8, but also to the upper end of the throat and to crest 9. The stirring tube comes out with the cap and hence may be readily cleaned or interchanged.

In service, sand is always present in the pocket 8 and feeds to the Pocket by gravity whenever sand is withdrawn. When air under pressure is delivered to pipe 29, the jet and throat operate as an ejector and reduce the pressure within body a charged through the throat to the rail.

The sand trap is Very'efiective, does not leak sand when inactive and uses air andsa'nd very economically when in operation. It can be used in exposed positions without impairment of its operation by water.

What is claimed is:

In a sander of the type in which sand is fed to a pocket and is withdrawn byan ejector which draws air into the pocket through a stirring nozzle to agitate the sand and carry it to the said pocket.

ejector, the combination of an open sided body having supply connections for sand and air and a discharge connection, the body having a pocket to which the sand connection leads, a Venturi throat leading to the discharge connection, a crest separating the pocket and throat, and a nozzle associated with the throat and fed by the ,airsupply connection; a cover closing the open side of the body and removable to give access to the pocket and the entrance to the Venturi throat, said cover having an elongated upwardextending air passage open to atmosphere at its lower end; and a stirring nozzle carried by the cover, f ed by saidvairpassage and projecting into ERWIN C. VROMAN. 

